Hopkins-Nanjing Center Blog

The Hopkins-Nanjing Center (HNC) is a unique academic community where students with diverse interests converge, united by a shared focus on US-China relations. Below, students Alec Nash, Yan Manshu, and Wyatt Crooks share their paths at the HNC, individual passions, and multifaceted experiences in international relations. Also, be sure to check out last semester's student profiles . Alec Nash 亚历山大 MAIS '24 Concentration: International Economics Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia Undergraduate Institution: Emory University  Yan Manshu 严曼舒 HNC Certificate '24 Hometown: Nanjing, China Wyatt Crooks 康沃业 HNC Certificate + MAIR '25 Concentration: Governance, Politics, and Society Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina Undergraduate Institution: North Carolina State University Tell us about your background, how you became interested in China, and what led you to the HNC. Alec Nash Alec: During my undergraduate years at Emory University I studied international relations. At the tim...

During the first week of class in the spring 2024 semester, Hopkins-Nanjing Center students gathered to elect their student representatives, a group of four students known as the Banwei (班委) who serve for one-semester terms. Cheng Rui, Yan Yixin, Sophie Kelley, and Nathaniel Fousek were selected to drive this new blossoming semester. Meet the Spring 2024 Banwei (left to right) Nathaniel, Yixin, Sophie, and Rui 成瑞 Cheng Rui (MAIS 2024) From Nantong, Jiangsu, Rui majored in international economics and trade at Nanjing University and is concentrating on energy, recourses, and environment at the HNC. Rui is the Nanjing Bureau Chief for the SAIS Observer and was a 2022-2023 Nanjing Scholar at SAIS DC.  严翌昕 Yan Yixin (MAIS 2025) Born and raised in Xiamen, Fujian, Yixin studied Korean at Nanjing University and studied abroad at Korea University. At the HNC, she is concentrating on international politics. Nathaniel Fousek (MAIS 2024) From Austin, Texas, Nathaniel graduated from the Univers...

Adjusting to life in China has ups and downs. Most everyone experiences some sort of culture shock and adjustment period when coming to a new country, and for HNC students it’s no different. In this post, students Alexandra Yarashevich (HNC Certificate ’24), Jacqualine Asuquo (MAIS ’24), and Peter Burds (MAIS ’25) talk about their experiences adjusting to life in China. How was your experience adjusting to life in China? Alexandra: It was very smooth, especially at the HNC, since they’re used to having international students come here and adjust to life. It went very smoothly, but of course, there were some difficulties, like the health checks and applying for the resident permit. However, the arrival guide that Deputy Co-Director John Urban continues to update was very comprehensive. Students generally go through the same process at the same time, so the transition time is as smooth as it can be. Peter: The language has been one of the hardest parts for me, but otherwise it has been ...

The HNC attracts a wide variety of students with different backgrounds united by a common interest in US-China studies. The three students below highlight their path to the HNC, advice to future students, and their plans going forward. Let’s meet Stephany, Feiyu, and Chris! Stephany Stephany Su 苏睿琦 HNC Certificate + MAIR '25 Concentration: Development, Climate, and Sustainability Hometown: Berkeley, California       Undergraduate Institution: UC Berkeley Cheng Feiyu 程飞羽 (Fred) MAIS '24 Concentration: International Economics Hometown: Luoyang, Henan Undergraduate Institution: Northeastern University 东北大学 Chris Hankin 林奎 MAIS '24 Concentration: Energy, Resources and Environment Hometown: Seattle, Washington Undergraduate Institution: Whitman College Why did you choose your program at the HNC? Stephany:  I heard about programs at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center early on in the beginning of high school and after learning Chinese for the majority of my life, I knew that I wanted to c...

Each year several students share their HNC experience on this blog, ranging in topics from their studies to their travels, and study tips to community member profiles. This year these three students below will be a window into the HNC with their photos and stories. Let’s meet them! Sam Trizza Sam Trizza Oklahoma, USA Certificate + MAIR ‘25 Savannah Glaves Kansas, USA  MAIS ‘25 Eric Omorogieva Maryland, USA Certificate + MAIR ‘25 How did you become interested in China? Sam: I started my Chinese studies in 2012 and visited China on student exchange shortly thereafter. With that trip, I was hooked. At that time, I was so interested in China because it felt like Mars. What I mean by that is it was so different than anything I had ever known. As I’ve studied China over the years, I realize my analogy holds true in some areas and has faults in others. I continued my Chinese studies in college, but took a few years off of study to work, but went to Middlebury Language Schools this summer ...

During orientation week for the Fall 2023 semester, Hopkins-Nanjing Center students gathered to elect their student representatives, a group of four students known as the Banwei (班委). Now fully back in an in-person setting for the first time in three years, Fu Jiapei, Liu Yufan, Tess Yu, and Mike Donmoyer were selected to lead an exciting new semester. Meet the Fall 2023 Banwei 傅佳沛 Fu Jiapei (MAIS 2024)  From Xiamen, Fujian, Jiapei graduated with a major in French. After discovering a passion for the social sciences, Jiapei came to the HNC to focus on the energy, resources, and environment concentration. 刘宇帆 Liu Yufan (MAIS 2025) Yufan majored in broadcasting at the Communication University of Zhejiang and came to the HNC to focus on international politics He is an ENTP and is passionate about meeting other people. Tess Yu (Cert+MAIR 2025) Tess is from Ellicott City, MD and was an economics major at Johns Hopkins University. In undergrad, she was president of the Sigma Omicron Pi s...

This past May and June, I had the great honor of joining my classmates in walking across the Johns Hopkins SAIS and Hopkins-Nanjing Center commencement stages. It has been a challenging, yet rewarding two years, and I could not have done it without the friends I have made in this program. While I could go on about my experiences, advice, and journey through the program, I wanted to highlight some of my impressive classmates and friends here.    Joseph Baldock, from North Carolina, studied in the Master of Arts in International Studies (MAIS) program, concentrating in Global Politics and China Studies. Cao YuanPeng, from 安徽省安庆市 , was enrolled in the one-year HNC Certificate program. Abena Oduro is from Ghana, and studied in the HNC Certificate + SAIS MAIR program, focusing on economics, finance, China, and Africa.    Why did you choose the program that you are enrolled in?     JOE: I knew I was interested in International Relations with an emphasis on Po...